What are Advanced search operators?
Advanced search operators are special commands you can use in search engines like Google to make your searches more precise and efficient.
These powerful commands consist of a character or string of characters which make it possible to refine search results by specifying queries to specific patterns, web pages, or file formats. The efficient use of Advanced search operators leads to higher quality and more accurate results. They are an integral part of advanced search techniques and offer many opportunities to find more precise information faster.
The benefit of advanced search operators
- Advanced search operators optimize the search results on search engines like Google to be more precise to the user’s needs.
- They help to filter the results accurately through specific parameters.
- Advanced search operators are an essential tool for SEO professionals.
- They can be used to speed up research and improve the quality of information in search results.
- A deep understanding of advanced search operators makes it easier to find relevant information and is important for more targeted and deeper online research.
- Advanced search operators enable targeted analysis of web content.
Complete list of all Advanced search operators for google.
Below is a complete list of the main search operators and their functions and example usage.
| Advanced Search Operator | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "Keyword" | A search phrase between two apostrophes are used tExact search for the phrase | "Search engine marketing" |
| OR | OR operator searches for one of the two search terms. | Python OR Java |
| | | - | Same function as OR |
| AND | Searches for results that contain both terms | machine AND learning |
| - | Searches for results that do not contain a term | python -snake |
| * | Placeholder for any word or phrase | machine * learning |
| ( ) | Groups multiple search queries | (python OR java) programming |
| define: | Searches for the definition of a term | define:advanced search operator |
| cache: | Displays the cached version of a page | cache:nytimes.com |
| filetype: | Searches for specific file types | SEO study filetype:pdf |
| ext: | Same function as filetype | SEO yearly report ext:pdf |
| site: | Limits the search to a specific website | site:bbc.com |
| related: | Finds similar pages to a specified URL | related:nytimes.com |
| intitle: | Searches for pages with a specific word in the title | intitle:Advanced Search Operators |
| allintitle: | Searches for pages with multiple words in the title | allintitle:quantum computing research |
| inurl: | Searches for pages with a specific word in the URL | inurl:login |
| allinurl: | Searches for pages with multiple words in the URL | allinurl:research paper |
| intext: | Searches for pages with a specific word in the text | intext:neural networks |
| allintext: | Searches for pages with multiple words in the text | allintext:deep learning tutorial |
| weather: | Searches for weather information for a specific location | weather:tokyo |
| stocks: | Searches for information about stocks | stocks:goog |
| map: | Searches for map information | map:paris |
| movie: | Searches for information about a film | movie:finding nemo |
| in | Converts one unit to another | 100 USD in EUR |
| source: | Searches for news from a specific source | climate change source:guardian |
| before: | Searches for pages before a specific date | news before:2023-01-01 |
| after: | Searches for pages after a specific date | news after:2020-01-01 |
The right combination of the above Google Advanced search operators can be used to implement extremely precise and efficient search strategies to find the most accurate information on the Internet much easier.